Relationships and the birth of a baby
The birth of a new baby is a time of huge change, which can have a big impact on a couple’s relationship. These courses and websites might be helpful if you are expecting or raising a baby, to make sure your relationship is strong and able to cope with the new challenges.
Family Foundations: For couples expecting their first baby together
This free 7-week course is designed to help expectant parents build a strong family unit and fully support their child's development. The course will help you:
- prepare yourself , and your relationship for the birth of your baby
- manage stress and handle difficult situations parenthood can bring
- learn new skills and techniques to strengthen your relationship
- understand the important role each parent plays in their child's life
There are 4 group sessions before the birth and 3 afterwards. The course is also great opportunity to meet other expectant parents. Groups are run both face-to-face and online.
Me, You & Baby Too (Free online course)
This online course has been designed to help couples understand the impact becoming parents has on their relationship, and equip them with skills to cope with the changes this will bring.
It is aimed at parents who are still in a relationship with each other, during pregnancy or in the first 12 months of their child’s life.
The course is based around watching video clips of new parents discussing their experiences and covers:
- Understanding how having a baby changes a relationship
- Learning the things that cause you most stress and how to deal with these
- Skills in how to resolve argument in a positive way
It is ideal for first-time parents, but will still be useful if you already have children. It takes 20-30 minutes to complete and works best when both parents do it together.
The Dad Course
The Dad Course offers men expecting their first baby the opportunity to build the skills, knowledge, confidence and support to be the best parents they possibly can be in the first year of their child’s life.
The course covers:
- working as a team
- practical things like nappy changing and how to hold a baby
- hearing a new dad talk about his experience
- the chance to ask any and all questions
After the course has finished, regular informal meet ups with other new dads are organised.
The course is online during lockdown and costs £30 with discounts available.
To book a place or find out more phone 07932 584 373 or send an email to hello@thedadcourse.com.
Useful links
- Find out what happening at your local Family Hub in Brighton & Hove
- ICON is a programme that provides information about infant crying and how to cope
- BrightPIP is a charity offering parent/infant psychological therapy to support parents to have positive relationships with their children
- Article on Relate website We’ve just had a baby and we’re arguing all the time